A recent survey conducted in national parks and classified forests in Côte d’Ivoire reports, that over the last 18 years, chimpanzee numbers in Côte d’Ivoire have plummeted by 90% (Campbell et al., 2008). The Taï National Park (NP) is the largest undisturbed forest block remaining in West Africa, and one of the few remaining strongholds for chimpanzees and other large mammals. The Taï NP is the only area in Côte d’Ivoire, where chimpanzees are still abundant (Koendgen et al. 2008).

At the same time, the chimpanzees and other animals in Taï NP are often victims of human bushmeat hunting activities. Although it is officially forbidden to kill, consume or trade wild animals in Côte d’Ivoire, wildlife harvesting happens on both local and commercial scales with wildlife from within the Taï NP supplying meat for both markets (Caspary et al., 2001). Conservation education is seen as a priority action for the conservation of chimpanzees and other wildlife (Kormos and Boesch, 2003).

Awareness raising campaigns of the WCF have conveyed the need to conserve chimpanzees through interactive theaters, discussion rounds, film presentations and newsletters (Boesch et al. 2008). These campaigns are often targeted at adults whereas long-term approaches oriented towards the next generation, have only rarely been employed. Therefore, the WCF expanded in 2007 its education activities and created nature clubs called “Club P.A.N.” (Personnes, Animaux et Nature / People, Animals, & Nature) in village primary schools around Taï NP (Soubré, Petit Tiemé, Amaragy, Taï, Diéro-oula, Paulé-oula, Daobly, Sakré and Ziriglo).

The first two school years of Club P.A.N. were very successful, we reached over 600 children each year and could show with evaluations that we increased their knowledge about the local flora and fauna by over 50%, we started already the third school year in October 2009. Because each school year we have new students joining the nature clubs and long-term conservation education programs are important to change local attitudes, the WCF would like to continue Club P.A.N. for a forth school year (October 2010 – June 2011).

Included will be the same schools, the same staff and partners for the other years (CPE, local teachers and schools, local wildlife authorities, governmental representatives).